Learning device

ABSTRACT

A learning device having a plurality of magnetic cores which serve as multistage level weight memory elements. In the device, the product of an input and a corresponding weight is delivered from the magnetic core in the form of a digital output, and the sum of digital outputs is compared with a threshold value in a decision circuit to derive an error signal so that the weight carried by each magnetic core can fully automatically be corrected until the actual output coincides with an expected output.

United States Patent 112] Inventors AklnNlsllym 3,196,415 7/1965 Brain 340/174' Osaka; I 3,267,439 8/1966 Bonnet 340/1725 Hick-Ill YtINIImKRlklwachi-lun; 3,360,778 12/1967 Farrell 340/1725 Tonto Yodllh, Khahwachl-gim;'l'etuo 3,374.470 3/1968 Rohland 340/1725 Yllnlnchl, WIILIIIOLJIPIII 3,395,395 7/1968 Gamblin et al. 340/1725 [21] Appl. No. 782,318 3,414.885 12/1968 Muller 340/1725 [22] Filed Dec. 9, 1968 3,446,950 5/1969 King et a1 340/1725 X [45] Patented Aug. 3l, 1971 3,457,552 7/1969 Asendorf 340/1725 [73] Aslignee MM M Industrial Co., Ltd. OTHER REFERENCES -J in- V L Cla pper, Machine Looks, Listens, Learns, Elec- Emmy tronics, on. 30, 1967, pages 91 m 102. [33] Japan 1 [31] 42/81665 dB/85748 Primary Examiner- Paul J. Henon AItorneyStevens, Davis, Miller & Mosher [54] LEARNING DEVICE 4 Chlml, 6 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl. 340/1715, ABSTRACT: A gaming device having a plurality of magnatic 340/174 cores which serve as multistage level weight memory ele- [Sl] llt. Cl G06! 15/18 mems. In the device, the product of input and a cop [50] neuusmu 340/1725. responding weight is delivered from the magnetic core in the 174 form of a digital output, and the sum of digital outputs is com- [56] I I Ch pared with a threshold value in a decision circuit to derive an error signal so that the weight carried by each magnetic core UNITED STATES PATENTS can fully automatically be corrected until the actual output 3,174,032 3/1965 White 340/1725 X coincides with an expected output.

W2 1 Acruat c sum/vs 0C/5/0N u C/RCUT flEMENT 3-' W3 l X W N N (er /55 CUVTHUL SECTION 6 ATENIEUAUB31 mm FIG.

h DEC/SIGN ELEMENT M2 ACTUAL CUTPUT SUMM/NG C/RCU/ T co/vrm SECTION AMPEF'E TURN PATENTED M1831 ism 3,502,668

sum 2 [IF 4 DEC /5 ION I ACTUAL OUTPUT P- RING COUNTER LEARNING nsvics This invention relates to learning devices. Learning devices are generally provided with an adaptive logic circuit which has such a learning ability that a desired output condition can be required so as to deliver a new output response for a new input condition. I

It is therefore a primaryobject of the present'invention to provide a learning device which is provided with a very stable memory element for storing a weight of multistage level so that operation'of a learning process for each input condition can always give a correct output response.

Another object vof the present invention is to provide a stably operable saturation flux detection circuit of the feedback winding type combined with a magnetic core having an associated write-in winding. I

:A further object of the present invention is to provide an adaptive logic circuit employing a magnetic core as a weight element so that disappearance of or any variation in stored information does not occur even when the power supply is cut off.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a logic circuit capable of electronically, performing automatic learning process until an actual output delivered from a decision element coincides with a desired output. I r

The above and other objects, features and. advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 1

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an adaptive logic circuit employed in prior art learning devices; v

FIG. 2 is a graph showing the hysteresis curve of a magnetic core; i

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of the learning device according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a detailed circuit diagram by the dotted lines in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a time chart of the circuit shown in FIG. 4; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the present invention. n v

Referring to FIG. 1, an adaptivelogictcircuit employed in prior art learning devices comprises a plurality of weight-elements A, B and C'having respective weights W W,and W, which may, for example, be a voltage, a summing circuit D, a decision element B, an output terminal F, a desired output terminal G and a learning control section II. A plurality of input signals X,, X, and X, are applied to the respective weight-elements A, B and C. The inputs X X, and X, may be one'of a set of "l" and-0"; or. one of a set of -l and 1." These values are summed upin the summing circuit D and the sum is compared in the decision element F. with a threshold value W which is VEI'IQDIQ;TIIOUIP\I! from the decision element Ev is +I'. and l ';'-when the sum is respectively larger and smaller than the thresholdvaluew When the actual output is +l" and the desired output is I," the learning control section I-I adjusts the weight so as to learn in order to give the actual output .l." The above procedure is repeatedzfor N of a portion surrounded input patterns each consisting of a set of numerals so that all Y the input patterns can be classified ingofacluslandaclsssl Referring to'FlG. 3, inputs X X,, X,,...X are applied to respective input terminals 1, 2, 3, ...N. l-Iere, only three input into two categories consistterminals I, 2 and 3 are shown merely for the sake of simplicistant-voltage pulse generator 4. Weight-elements W1, W2, and W3 employ magnetic cores for permanent memory of the weight. Gate circuits G4, G5 and G6 are arranged to open whenthe flux level is read out in the form of a digital quantity. A gate circuit G7 is arranged to open when the input pattern is identified and to close when the weight is educated. A digitalanalog (D-A) converter 5 converts pulses sent out from an OR circuit 0R1 into an analog quantity. The analog quantity is compared with a threshold value W 1 in a decision element 6 which delivers an output f+1 and an output -1" respectively. AND circuits AN8, AN9 and inverters INl, IN2 are provided to compare the output E, appearing at an output terminal'7 of the decision element 6 with the desired output E applied to a terminal 8. When the output B, does not coincide with the output E an error signal delivered from one of the AND circuits ANB and AN is applied to one of AND circuits AN6 and AN7. When the actual output E, appearing at the terminal 7 coincides with the desired output E appearing at the terminal 8, an AND circuit ANIO operates to reset a flip-flop circuit FF(N+2). A trigger signal is applied through the terminal 9 to a monostable circuit MM]. The pulse delivered from the constant-voltage pulse generator 4 appears in one of the'outputs from AND circuits AN4 ANS, AN6 and AN7 through a' combination of output tenninals of flip-flop circuits FF(N+1) and FF(N+2). A P-ring counter 10 is connected with an OR circuit 0R3 so that, upon receiving P pulses from the OR circuit 0R3, it sends out one pulse to an input terminal of the OR circuit 0R2. Thispulse acts to shift the selection circuit consisting of the flip-flop circuits FFI, I-F2, FF3, FFN. The AND circuits AN6 andAN7- deliver a signal for varying the weight of the weight-elements. A (P-l )-ring counter 11 is connected with the AND circuit AN6 so that, upon receiving (P-l) pulses, it supplies one pulse to an input terminal of the 0R circuit 0R2.

FIG. 4 shows the detail of the circuit portion relating to the magnetic core memory element surrounded by the dotted lines in FIG. 3. In FIG. 4, reference characters m, n, and n, denote a write-in winding, a feedback winding and a reset winding, respectively, associated with a core CORE 1; R R, and R, resistorsjD a diode which absorbs a reverse spike of an induced voltage; T1, a transistor; and SCRl and SCR2, silicon controlled rectifier elements. A DC voltage E is applied to the other end of the reset winding n,.

FIG. 5a shows a pulse waveform entering the write-in winding n FIG. 5b, a voltage waveform induced in the feedback winding 11,; FIG. 5c, a collector voltage waveform of the transistor T1; and FIG. 5d, a pulse waveform which passes through the silicon controlled rectifier element SCR2 to enter the OR circuit 0R1.

The learning device having the above-described structure operates in a manner as described below. Certain input signals X X X (which are 1" or 0.) are applied to the respective input terminals 1, 2 and 3 in FIG. 3. In this state, all the outputs from the AND circuits ANl, AN2, ANN remain in their low level since the input signals sent out from the selection circuit consisting of the flip-flop circuits FFl, FFZ, FFN to enter these AND circuits are in their low level. When now a starting switch for the trigger signal input terminal 9 is turned on, the monostable circuit MMl acts to invert the flipflop circuit H-(N+l), and the output from the AND circuit AN takes its high level solely when a pulse is supplied from the constant-voltage pulse generator 4. The pulse delivered I from the AND circuit AN4 pases through the OR circuit R3 to enter the P-ring counter 10. When P pulses enter the P-ring counter 10, the P-ring counter supplies one pulse to the OR circuit 0R2 so that this pulse inverts the first flip-flop circuit m in the selection circuit. The AND circuit AN 1 takes its high level what the input X is "+1." This signal is supplied to the gate electrode of the silicon controlled rectifier element SCRl and the pulse delivered from the constant-voltage pulse generator 4 passes through the silicon controlled rectifier SCRl element to enter the yite-in winding n pf the magnetic core CORE 1. This pulse acts to vary the flux level of the magnetic core CORE 1. Suppose that Adi is the variation of magnetic flux in response to application of one pulse and 14 is the positive and negative value of the saturation flux. Then,

is compared with the threshold value W and +l" appears at the output terminal 7 when while I appears at the output terminal 7 when I N z i i WN+v A!!!) eerie and ass ely.-

The above operation can be summarized as follows:

Actual output at 7 +1 +1 1 l. =Desired outputat8. +1 1 +1 l.

Learning Not BequlrerL RequiretL Not required. required. Increase or decrease Decrease" Increase. in weight.

Assume that the flux level of the magnetic core CORE 1 lies at position 3 in FIG. 2. Then, the saturation value +4, is reached when the (P-3)th pulse comes through the'silicon controlled rectifier element SCRl to appear in the write-in winding n,. The transistor T is urged to conduct by being driven by the spike pulse in FIG. 5b and by the pulse voltage fed from the write-in winding n, through the resistor R2. Current fio through the reset winding n and the magnetic core CORE 1 is reset at its negative level. At the same time, a signal delivered from the collector of the transistor T1 in.the course of resetting of the transistor T1 inverts a flip-flop circuit FF(N+3). As a result, the silicon, controlled rectifier element SCRZ is opened and the (P4)th and following pulses pass through the silicon controlled rectifier element'SCR2 to enter the OR circuit OR]. The flux level level of the magnetic core CORE 1 starts to increase as the (P4)th and following pulses appear. On the other hand, when 2? pulses are supplied to the P-ring counter 10 through the AND circuit AN4 and the OR circuit 0R3, the second pulse enters the OR circuit CR2, and this pulse resets the flip-flop circuit FF] to its original state. As a result, the flip-flop circuit FF2 is now inverted. In the meantime, pulses are supplied to the magnetic core CORE 1 through the silicon controlled rectifier element SCRl, and

P( P-3 =3 pulses enter the OR circuit ORl through the silicon controlled rectifier element SCR2 to maintain the flux level of the magnetic core CORE 1 at the previous state or the position 3. Then, the flux level of a magnetic core CORE 2 is read out by the inversion of the fiip-fiop circuit FFZ, and similar operation is successively efiected until the flux level of the last magnetic core CORE N is read out. In this connection, it will be noted that the flux level is read out in the form of the digital quantity only when the input signab X X,, ...X,- are +l." When the inputs X X,, X,- are "ll," the flux level draws a loop to return to the original state and no pulse enters the OR circuit 0R1. Respective pulses supplied to the OR circuit OR] are fed through the gate circuit G7 into the D-A converter 5, and the value of in the form of an analog quantity is fed into the decision element 6. In the decision element 6,

dmired output. In this case, the output from the AND circuit ANS apparently takes its high level. When the pulse from the constant-voltage pulse generator 4 enters the AND circuit AN 6, Iris pulse appears at the output of the AND circuit An6 to be supplied to the (P-l )-ring counter 11. As (P -l) pulses enter the (Pl )-ring counter 11, it supplies one pulse to the OR circuit 0R2 and an operation entirely similar to the above takes place so that (P-l) pulses are supplied to the magneticcore to which +l" is applied. As a result, the flux level represenung the weight is stepped down by one step. In the case of (iii), the situation is opposite to the case of (ii). That is, the output fromthe AND circuit AN9 takes its high level, and a pulse appears at the output of the AND circuit AN7 as in the case of the AND circuit AN6. As a result, the flip-flop circuits FFl, FFZ, FFN forming the selection circuit are shifted as one pulse after another is applied. in this case, the flux level of the magnetic core corresponding to +1 of the input signals is now stepped up by one step to complete the learning process. At the completion of the learning process in the case of (ii) and (iii), a signal delivered from the flip-flop circuit FI'N inverts the flip-flop circuit H-(N +1), and. the pulse delivered from the constant-voltage pulse generator 4 appears at the output of the AND circuit ANS and enters the P-ring counter 10 through the OR circuit 0R3. The gate G7 is opened again and the D-A converter 5 is reset as soon as the flip-flop circuit Fl-(N+l) is inverted. The same operation as that described previously takes place to read out the value of af tercompletion of the lambs states. A. the completion of the above operation, a pulse delivered from the flip-flop circuit FFN resets the flip-fiop circuits FI-(N +1) and FF(N -B) to complete the whole operation.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the present invention provides a novel and improved learning device which comprises a stable weight memory element consisting of the combination of a magnetic core and a transistor. The learning device according to the present invention is advantageous in that the stored information does notdisappear even in a no-power state due to power line trouble or any other causeand in that a .leaming process can automatically be effected in an electronic fashion.

Another embodiment of the present invention employing a memory core circuit of the kind referred to above will be described-with reference to FIG. 6. The embodiment shown in FIG. 6 comprises a pulse generator 61 which generates a train of P pulses (herein P is taken as five), a memory core circuit 62'consisting essentially of a memory core 63, a gate circuit 64, a waveform shaping circuit 65, a learning pulse input terminal 66, a multistable circuit 67 formed by five flip-flop circuits F1, F2, F3, F4 and F5, a weight circuit 68 formed by five MOS field effect transistors T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6, a gate circuit 69, a summing circuit 70, a decision element 71, and an output terminal 72. I

The gate terminals of the MOS transistors T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6 are connected to output terminals of the flip-flop circuits F l F2, F3, F4 and F5, respectively. The MOS transistors T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6 are urged to conduct by anoutput of the flip-flop circuit which is in a state (0, I), namely in the state of the flip-flop circuit F1 in HG. 6. Weights such as +2,

+l, 0," -1" and 2" are applied to input terminals of the respective MOS transistors T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6. Output terminals of these MOS transistors T2, T3, T4, T5 and T6 are coupled together to be connected with the gate circuit 69. A signal passed through the gate circuit 69 is fed into the summing circuit 70 together with a plurality of signals or weights derived from similar circuits so that they are summed up in the summing circuit 70. The decision element 71 acts in a manner similar to the preceding embodiment, that is, the output from the summing circuit 70 is compared with a threshold value W so as to deliver a signal +l" or l" to the output tenninal 72. V

The learning device shown in FIG. 6 operates in a manner as described below. When a learning pulse is applied to the input terminal 66, the specific state (0, l) of the flip-flop circuit F1 in the multistable circuit 67 is shifted to the next flip-flop circuit 72 to urge the MOS transistor T3 to conduct. in other words, the MOS transistor T2 having been conducting is cut off and the MOS transistor T3 is now urged to conduct. Then when the next learning pulse is applied to the input terminal 66, a similar operation takes place to urge the MOS transistor T4 to conduct so that the weight applied to the source electrode of the MOS transistor can thereby be selected. Suppose now that the learning process is completed with the fiip flop circuit F3 placed in the specific state. If the power supply is interrupted in the above state, it is unable to identify which of all the flip-flop circuits Fl through F5 in the multistable circuit 67 takes its specific state and the state in which the previous learning process has been completed can not be maintained.

I) so that the flip-flop circuit F3 can return to its previous state.

It will be appreciated from the foregoing description that the present invention provides a learning device which employs a memory core whichstores the memory of the learning state independently of the operation of a multistable circuit having a plurality of stages. Thus, the specific flip-flop circuit in the multistable circuit can be restored to its previous state even if the power supply is interrupted.

What we claim is:

l. A learning device for automatically adapting itself to produce a desired output in response to an input pattern, comprising in combination:

a. multistage weighting means connected to plural input ter- 'minals for producing product signals of the respective inputs and corresponding weights,

b. means for summing said product signals,

c. decision means for comparing the sum with a preselected threshold value to deliver a classification output,

d. logical control means connected between said decision means and weighting means for delivering a sequence of pulses to the latter for successively selecting certain weights of said weighting means for production of said product signals and delivering learning pulses to the latter for shifting said certain weights to obtain said classification output in coincidence with the desired response: wherein said weighting means each comprises magnetic core memory element capable of being magnetized at a certain number of magnetizationlevels ranging from the negative saturation to the positive saturation with its' excitations responsive to the application of the sequence of pulses for presenting the corresponding weight.

2. A learning device according to claim 1, wherein said control means has a pulse generator for generating the sequence of pulses, said weighting means each further comprises a multistable circuit whose specific state shifts from stage to stage with the successive application of the learning pulses thereto, weight supply gate means operable to supply the certain weight by the specific state of said multistable circuit, said memory element being coupled to said multistable circuit to also shift its magnetization level with the application of the learning pulses, said pulse generator being connected to said memory element to supply thereto the same number of excitation pulses as the number of thestages of said multistable circuit in the case of occasional disappearance of the specific state on the circuit and being connected to said multistable circuit to supply thereto a certain number of pulses of said excitation pulses occurring after the establishment of the memory element reset to the negative saturation for restoring its position of the specific state just before the disappearance.

3. A learning device according to claim 1, wherein said memory elements are connected to the respective input terminals, said control means having a constant-voltage pulse generator for supplying the sequence of a predetermined number of pulses to the respective memory elements for shifting their magnetization levels defined as weights, said weighting means digitallysupplying to said summing means the product signals of the respective inputs and the corresponding weights each composed of a certain number of pulses supplied from said generator after the establishment of each memory element reset to its saturation in the negative direction.

' 4. A learning device according to claim 3, wherein said memory element comprises a magnetic core carrying a writein winding with its one end connected to said pulse generator for the excitation of the core with the application of the sequence of pulses, a feedback winding with its one end connected through a resistor to the other end of said write-in winding and a reset winding with its one end connected through a resistor, the collector and emitter ofa transistor and a DC power supply to its other end, and comprises a diode connecting its anode and cathode to the other end of said feedback winding and the base of said transistor respectively, said emitter being connected through a resistor to the other end of saidwrite-in winding for ensuring the stabilized reset operation of the core. 

1. A learning device for automatically adapting itself to produce a desired output in response to an input pattern, comprising in combination: a. multistage weighting means connected to plural input terminals for producing product signals of the respective inputs and corresponding weights, b. means for summing said product signals, c. decision means for comparing the sum with a preselected threshold value to deliver a classification output, d. logical control means connected between said decision means and weighting means for delivering a sequence of pulses to the latter for successively selecting certain weights of said weighting means for production of said product signals and delivering learning pulses to the latter for shifting said certain weights to obtain said classification output in coincidence with the desired response: wherein said weighting means each comprises magnetic core memory element capable of being magnetized at a certain number of magnetization levels ranging from the negative saturation to the positive saturation with its excitations responsive to the application of the sequence of pulses for presenting the corresponding weight.
 2. A learning device according to claim 1, wherein said control means has a pulse generator for generating the sequence of pulses, said weighting means each further comprises a multistable circuit whose specific state shifts from stage to stage with the successive application of the learning pulses thereto, weight supply gate means operable to supply the certain weight by the specific state of said multistable circuit, said memory element being coupled to said multistable circuit to also shift its magnetization level with the application of the learning pulses, said pulse generator being connected to said memory element to supply thereto the same number of excitation pulses as the number of the stages of said multistable circuit in the case of occasional disappearance of the specific state on the circuit and being connected to said multistable circuit to supply thereto a certain number of pulses of said excitation pulses occurring after the establishment of the memory element reset to the negative saturation for restoring its position of the specific state just before the disappearance.
 3. A learning device according to claim 1, wherein said memory elements are connected to the respective input terminals, said control means having a constant-voltage pulse generator for supplying the sequence of a predetermined numbeR of pulses to the respective memory elements for shifting their magnetization levels defined as weights, said weighting means digitally supplying to said summing means the product signals of the respective inputs and the corresponding weights each composed of a certain number of pulses supplied from said generator after the establishment of each memory element reset to its saturation in the negative direction.
 4. A learning device according to claim 3, wherein said memory element comprises a magnetic core carrying a write-in winding with its one end connected to said pulse generator for the excitation of the core with the application of the sequence of pulses, a feedback winding with its one end connected through a resistor to the other end of said write-in winding and a reset winding with its one end connected through a resistor, the collector and emitter of a transistor and a DC power supply to its other end, and comprises a diode connecting its anode and cathode to the other end of said feedback winding and the base of said transistor respectively, said emitter being connected through a resistor to the other end of said write-in winding for ensuring the stabilized reset operation of the core. 